Chapter Four

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Magnolia L.
Magnolia liliifera (L.) Baill.
Common name: Magnolia
Thai Local name: Montha-Khao
Magnolia is an evergreen tree genus, locally common, restricted to less
disturbed areas. The tree is up to 15 m high with open irregular crown and smooth,
pale brown bark. Leaf 20-50 × 7-15 cm, narrowly obovate with blunt tip and tapering
at the base. Mature leaf dark green, smooth or with scattered hairs on midvien below.
9-15 pairs of widely spaced side viens. Stalks 5-7 cm, swollen at base, stipule scar
more than ¾ of total length. Flower up to 15 cm, white, solitary at end of twigs with
stout stalks, 1.5-3 cm. Buds 3-4 cm, globular, covered by a purple bract. Sepals/petals
5-7 cm, thick and fleshy, innerones narrower, falling soon after opening. Differs
structurally from Michelia by the absence of a stalk on the central cone. Fruit woody,
oblong, 10-15 cm, splitting up when mature into 30-50 separate portions each with a
bright red seed (Gardner et al., 2000).